Green Options

SPRANQ creative communications has developed a new font that is good for the environment, designed to reduce the amount of printer ink used by up to 20%.

How did SPRANQ accomplish this? By developing a font style that looks a bit like you are writing with swiss cheese!

A Dutch company called SPRANQ has developed a simple yet brilliant way to save ink: the Ecofont. According to the its creators, the font saves up to 20 percent of the ink normally used in printing.

Thea and Sami is based in Brisbane, Australia, creating fashions and accessories out of natural materials and earth-friendly inks.  They have begun adding some certified organic fabrics to their collection, including this handprinted “Iron Flowers” design in turquoise on white or grey on black on organic linen. The fabric is 142 cm wide (56″) and costs $A38.50 per metre.

I discussed sustainable paper options in a previous post, but paper is only half of the printing equation. When looking for greener printing options, you also have to consider ink. And that is where things often get a bit messy. Traditional printing inks are petroleum-based and contain volitile organic compounds (VOCs) that contribute to air pollution and health problems.

Because petroleum-based inks are usually found in home inkjet printers, the first

[...]